Jack Brabham's F1-winning BT19 car was testament to his ingenuity and skill

Jack Brabham drives the BT19 to victory in the 1966 British Grand Prix. It was his second win of the season, and helped him to the F1 championship for the year.

AFP

Sir Jack Brabham already had two Formula One championships under his belt and there was no doubting his position as a giant of world motorsport when he triumphed for a third time in 1966.

As historian Doug Nye phrased it, "Brabham's teams won hundreds of bottles of champagne... one or two of which he shared."

But his 1966 triumph was all the sweeter because for the first time in F1 history the winning car - the Brabham BT19 - bore its driver's name.

Brabham drove the BT19 to four winning finishes and a championship-winning 39 points in the 1966 season, all using a V8 engine Brabham had enlisted Australian company Repco to build for him.

It's been a wonderful car over the years ... and it's a pleasure to come and drive it. I'm afraid that's something I'll never ever get tired of.

Sir Jack Brabham, 1926-2014

Only one Brabham BT19, which he called the 'Old Nail', was ever built.

The origins of the unique machine lie in one of enduring traditions of Formula One racing, a rule change.

Ahead of the 1966 season the sport's governing body Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) doubled the limits on engine capacity to three litres.

This prompted a scramble to come up with the best design for the new bigger engines.

Rather than opting for a 12-cylinder engine like most of his rivals, Brabham opted for a less-powerful but lighter and more reliable V8.

Australian company Repco developed the engine by modifying an Oldsmobile model that had been abandoned by General Motors in 1963.

Its vital statistics boasted less brute power, but the engine made up for it with sleek and efficient design.

The 154-kilogram engine put out just 300 brake horsepower compared with the 330-360 bhp of its main rivals, but Brabham calculated it could make seven miles to the gallon compared with four mpg among its "more exotic rivals".

But getting the right engine was not the end of the story; it needed a car to hold it.